Shutter construction



Oct 1938- E. e. PETERSEN ET AL 2,133,924

SHUTTER CONSTRUCTION 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 24, 195'? IIIIIIIIIIIIIIllllllllllll l|l| lllllllllllll lllll I 3(=\0 5 EDGAR FET REEN ANDFREDERICK E. EEAEH fitted mug Oct. 18, 1938. E. G. PETERSEN ET AL2,133,924

SHUTTER CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 24, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FREDERICKE.EEAEH V I WW;

EDq-AFP FE TEFSENAND Oct. 18, 1938. I E. G. PETERSEN ET AL. 2,133,924

SHUTTER CONSTRUCTION FiledFeb. 24, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 gummy tom- EDE'AH GFETEH'EEN AND 1 'REDEFPICK E. EEAEH Patented Oct. 18, 1938 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE SHUTTER CONSTRUCTION Michigan Application February24, 1937, Serial No. 127,366

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to shutter structure particularly designedfor attachment forward of the radiator grille fronts of automobiles.More specifically, the invention is primarily concerned with shutterstructure of the type installed as an accessory and used only during thewinter months. In this type of shutter structure attractiveness,compactness, low cost of production, ease of installation and removal,and regulation are matters of principal concern.

According to the present invention the shutter structure comprises twoentirely separable sheet metal body sections each capable of beingattached to the radiator grille and to cover onehalf the ventilationarea forward of the radiator as defined by the outer surface of thegrille. Each of these sections is preferably held in position upon theouter surface of the grille through snap-on attachment clips carriedupon the rear side of each section and engageable with parts of thegrille structure. For regulating the air flow through the shuttersections, each section is provided with adjustable openings which may beunder the control of pivoted shutter slats, louvers, dampers, or thelike. In the preferred form of the invention as herein illustrated theopenings in each shutter section are regulated by an axially slidabledamper located on the underside of the shutter sections and directlyadjacent the radiator grille structure. As it is desirable to regulatethe opening in the sections simultaneously, simple means have beenprovided for interconnecting the dampers even though the sections areangularly disposed to each other necessitated 3., by the pointed orstream line contour of the radiator grille.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a front elevational View showing the shutterin position, parts of the shutter being 40 shown broken away,

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View of the shutter in position,

Fig. 3 is a view taken from the rear side of the shutter parts as theyappear prior to in- 45 stallation,

Figs. 4 and 5 are fragmentary sectional views through the shutter andradiator grille showing the manner of attachment,

Fig. 6 is a side elevational view of an embodiment in cross-sectionshowing the manner of installation of the shutter control, and

Fig. '7 is an enlarged view of the shutter control mechanism.

Referring to Fig. 1 the shutter preferably comprises two separate outersheet metal sections In and I2. practice may conform to the innermarginal edge of the radiator shell M which projects forwardly of theradiator I6 or it may overlap the same. As illustrated the shutter isfixed to the grille made up from vertical slats IS with horizontalsupporting members 20 and 22. As shown the sections l0 and [2 arepositioned upon opposite sides of a centralornamental vertical bar 24,part of the grille structure, and'each section is shaped at 26 and 28 toaccommodate the emblem 30 of the automobile manufacturer which iscarried by the grille structure.

Positioned upon the rear side of the sections IE! and I2 are dampers 32and 34 supported for vertical slidable movement upon pin and slotconnections 36 (see Fig. 3). The dampers 32 and 34 have spaced openings38 which conform in shape and spacing to the openings 40 in the sections[0 and 12. In Fig. 1 the dampers 32 and 34 are shown in partial openposition; the openings'38 of the dampers 32 and 34 being in fullalignment With the openings 40 when the dampers are slid upward to thefull limit of the pin and slot connections 35 and completely closing theopenings 40 when slid downward to the lower limits of the connections36. Flat springs 42 may be inserted between the sections Ill and I2 andtheir associated dampers 32 and 34 to prevent any rattle. I

To enable the shutter sections I0 and I2 and their associated parts tobe quickly applied and removed from the grille, we preferably employ aplurality of spring detents 44 which are anchored to the rear side ofthe sections I0 and I2. These detents 44 are so positioned as to comebetween the slats l8 of the grille and upon downward movement of thesections l0 and [2, which are separately applied to the grille, thedetent will snapback of the horizontal reinforcement members 2|] and 22in the manner shown in Figs. 4 and to firmly position the sections andI2 uponthe grille structure. Preferably the sections l0 and I2 areslightly dished to enable the marginal edges thereof to engage with thesurface of grille yet position the central portion of the sections so asto provide clearance between the sections and the grille for freeoperation of the dampers 32 and 34.

In the case where the dampers 32 and 34 are The outer contour of thesections in to be controlled from the drivers seat, connector at 54 andan adjustable pin 56 threaded in the end 52 projects through the slot 54to connect the dampers 32 and 34 together to the extent that verticalmovement of one is imparted to the other. Fixed to the section l2 by abracket 58 is a flexible conduit 60 Within which is carried for axialslidable movement a wire 62 having one end fixed to the damper 34 at 64.The conduit 60 extends between adjacent slats l8 of the grille and iscarried over the radiator l6 through a hole 66 in the dash and is fixedto the control 68. The control 68 is designed to be clamped to theinstrument panel by an adjustable clamping screw #2. The operating shaft14 which is rotated to open and close the shutters has a threadedportion 16 which passes through a block 18 which is axially reciprocableupon revolution of the shaft '14 in opposite directions. The wire 62carried within the conduit 60 is connected to the block 18 by means of aset screw 80. In this manner manipulation of the shaft 14 will feed thewire 52 which raises and lowers the dampers 32 and 34.

Depending upon the shape and ornamentation of the grille, the shuttersmay be of two separate sections as shown or it may be entirely integral,or the sections may be hinged together or otherwise suitably associated.We prefer, however, to have the shutters of two separate sections as itfacilitates handling in manufacture and enables compact packaging forshipment.

Having thus described our invention what we desire to protect by LettersPatent and claim is:

In combination with a radiator grille front of stream lined contour, anaccessory shutter structure designed to be installed on the outside ofthe grille front comprising a pair of separate sheet metal sections ofrelatively rigid construction each adapted to cover equal portions ofthe grille front on opposite sides of its vertical center line, anopening in each of said sections, regulating means for varying theeffective size of said openings supported upon said sections and locatedforward of said grille, said regulating means being associated with saidsections as a unitary structure, attachment means upon said sections forenabling independent installation and removal of said sections to andfrom said grille, interlocking structure connected to said regulatingmeans upon each section and coacting with each other with said sectionsin place upon said grille to lock said regulating means together so asto function as a unit, and control means directly connected to one ofsaid regulating means and extending rear.- wardly through said grillefor indirectly operating the other of said regulating means withsimultaneous movement through said interlocking means.

EDGAR G. PETERSEN.

FREDERICK E.- BEACH. so

